Assessment of a heat pipe solar collector with nanofluids

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This research was designed to experimentally study the influence of using three metal oxide nanofluids at different high flow rates with various mass...     

Mechanisms and pathogenesis underlying environmental chemical-induced necroptosis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Necroptosis is a regulated cell death that is governed by mixed lineage kinase domain-like, receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 3 and...     

Evaluation of spatial and temporal variation in Karun River water quality during five decades (1968–2014)

In the present study, the multivariate statistical technique cluster analysis (CA) is used to evaluate the spatial and temporal variations in the water quality data for the Karun River, which was gathered during 46 years of monitoring (from 1968 to 2014). The data recorded electrical conductivity (EC) in the river at six water monitoring stations along its course. The mean of EC was 972.05 ± 365.466 micromhos per centimeter (μmhos/cm) at the most upstream station and showed an increase to 1458.41 ± 675.048 μmhos/cm at the most downstream of the stations. By using hierarchical CA, the six sampling stations were grouped into three clusters of similar characteristics, which may be a result of different land uses in proximity to the stations. Furthermore, two‐way analysis of variance showed that EC had a significant correlation (p < 0.001) with the season, and the mean of the pollution depended on the level of the cluster and the season (spring, summer, autumn, and winter).     

Iodine deficiency status in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region: a systematic review

Iodine deficiency is a global public health issue because iodine plays a major role in the thyroid hormone synthesis and is essential for normal neurological development. This review summarizes the publications on iodine status in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries. All related studies available in main national and international databases were systematically searched using some specific keywords to find article published between 1909 and 2015. The prevention of iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) in the WHO EMR countries is currently under control without significant side effects. Mild to severe IDDs exist in some countries of the Middle East, due to lack of effective iodine supplementation program, but the Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, Bahrain and Tunisia have achieved the goal of universal salt iodization. Overall, despite enormous efforts to control IDDs, still IDD remains a serious public health problem in some countries of the region, requiring urgent control and prevention measures.     

Unwanted metals and hydrophobic contaminants in bioreactor effluents are associated with the presence of humic substances

Biological treatment of landfill leachate is challenging due to the presence of complex compounds. Here, we treated an old landfill leachate using a membrane bioreactor under the following conditions: 24 h for hydraulic retention, 65 days of sludge retention and an average organic load rate of 1.71 ± 0.16 g/L/day. We observed a high removal of ammonia, phosphorous and some metals. However, removal of organic carbon was incomplete. Despite a major removal of suspended solids, hydrophobic and volatile hydrophilic compounds, high concentration of fulvic acid and hydrophilic contaminants was found in the effluent. Overally, we demonstrate that the presence of humic substances in the effluent is associated with the detection of arsenic, copper and chromium and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate.     

No evidence for effect of soil compaction on the degradation and impact of isoproturon

Soil is damaged by several threats and, among them, chemical contamination by pesticides and compaction. However, the effect of compaction on the fate of pesticides in soil, and the impact of pesticides on soil biological functioning are unknown. Therefore, we studied the effect of soil compaction on the degradation of the herbicide isoproturon, and the impact of this herbicide on an enzyme activity (β-glucosidase) involved in the C soil cycle. Undisturbed soil samples were prepared at different bulk densities, treated with isoproturon then incubated at 18°C in darkness for 63 days. The results showed that soil compaction did not modify significantly the degradation of isoproturon, neither the formation rates nor the nature of its metabolites. Moreover, compaction did not modify the impact of isoproturon on β-glucosidase activity. To our knowledge, these are the first results concerning the interactions between soil compaction and the degradation and impact of a pesticide.     

Adaptation of maize to climate change impacts in Iran

Adaptation is a key factor for reducing the future vulnerability of climate change impacts on crop production. The objectives of this study were to simulate the climate change effects on growth and grain yield of maize (Zea mays L.) and to evaluate the possibilities of employing various cultivar of maize in three classes (long, medium and short maturity) as an adaptation option for mitigating the climate change impacts on maize production in Khorasan Razavi province of Iran. For this purpose, we employed two types of General Circulation Models (GCMs) and three scenarios (A1B, A2 and B1). Daily climatic parameters as one stochastic growing season for each projection period were generated by Long Ashton Research Station-Weather Generator (LARS?WG). Also, crop growth under projected climate conditions was simulated based on the Cropping System Model (CSM)-CERES-Maize. LARS-WG had appropriate prediction for climatic parameters. The predicted results showed that the day to anthesis (DTA) and anthesis period (AP) of various cultivars of maize were shortened in response to climate change impacts in all scenarios and GCMs models; ranging between 0.5 % to 17.5 % for DTA and 5 % to 33 % for AP. The simulated grain yields of different cultivars was gradually decreased across all the scenarios by 6.4 % to 42.15 % during the future 100 years compared to the present climate conditions. The short and medium season cultivars were faced with the lowest and highest reduction of the traits, respectively. It means that for the short maturing cultivars, the impacts of high temperature stress could be much less compared with medium and long maturity cultivars. Based on our findings, it can be concluded that cultivation of early maturing cultivars of maize can be considered as the effective approach to mitigate the adverse effects of climate.     

Roadmap for recycling of germanium from various resources: reviews on recent developments and feasibility views

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Germanium as a strategic metalloid is widely used in high-tech devices. The most crucial germanium resources are rare and limited to zinc minerals,...     

Can green trade save the environment? Introducing the Green (Trade) Openness Index

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Environmental degradation is one of the main drivers of climate change. One of the most broadly accepted tools to minimize environmental degradation...